Choosing The Best Flooring For High Traffic Areas

09 Jun.,2025

 

Choosing The Best Flooring For High Traffic Areas

Industrial and commercial floors take serious abuse. Daily foot traffic, heavy machinery, large equipment, and constantly-moving inventory can all wear it down bit by bit, eventually causing areas of noticeable damage.

With competitive price and timely delivery, KAIYAO sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

If you are an industrial or commercial site owner (whether it's a retail space, manufacturing plant, warehouse, or another type of facility), then you have the monumental task of selecting a flooring option that can withstand high levels of daily wear and tear. Here are some of the options and their varying levels of suitability:

Hardwood

While hardwood is undeniably attractive, it’s typically not a good choice for high-traffic areas. Once hardwood’s outer layer of polyurethane, varnish, paint, or other material is scratched off, the wood underneath will be quickly eroded by abrasives from shoes and machinery. Worse, moisture can seep into the wood itself, weakening and even rotting it.

Hardwood is also highly expensive to install and replace. Unless your floors have historic value or you’re trying to create a very specific aesthetic for customers, hardwood is probably too high-maintenance and unreliable for high-traffic areas.

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is available in sheets, squares, or simulated planks and comes in many strength and quality grades. It can work in many commercial settings such as restaurants, offices, and retail spaces that don’t experience high amounts of traffic. If tennis shoes and dress shoes are the most likely source of wear for your facility, vinyl may work well for you.

However, vinyl is a poor fit for floors that must hold up under heavy loads, such as forklifts and other machinery, or heavy work boots that may gouge the soft surface. It’s also not ideal for handling large amounts of dust or debris. In industrial settings, vinyl may undergo bonding failure in as quickly as a year.

Tile

Ceramic or concrete tile has similar uses and properties to vinyl. Although tile can be more durable in terms of toughness and density, it is prone to cracking under heavy weight. In addition, debris and moisture can seep into the porous grout between the tiles.

Maintaining tile can be costly for site owners, since it is susceptible to frequent cracking or breakage. Therefore, tile is not recommended for industrial applications, though it may be useful in some retail settings.

Steel Floor Plate

Steel has incredible durability properties and resistance to abrasion and wear. Many steel products can be subject to corrosion, but chemical-resistant coatings can eliminate this drawback. Steel floor plates are also lightweight compared to other options like tile or concrete. Since they can serve a rigid structural purpose, they will often pull “double duty” as flooring and structural support.

However, steel plates are costly to purchase and install, and often prohibitively expensive for general flooring applications. Therefore, steel plate flooring is generally best used for raised structures such as catwalks and platforms.

Concrete

Concrete flooring is a practical solution for many industrial applications, and can even make a bold statement for commercial and retail spaces.

One of concrete’s main benefits is its extremely low cost: most buildings already have an underlying concrete slab, and newly poured concrete can easily take the shape of any structure if the mold is made well. Concrete combined with steel under-decking makes for a relatively light, cheap flooring structure that can resist huge amounts of wear over time.

Concrete is naturally stronger than tile, vinyl, and hardwood and withstands heavy traffic much more easily, even from heavy machinery. Unfinished concrete can be subject to cracking, spalling, and dusty shedding, so it’s often recommended that a protective floor coating such as epoxy or urethane be applied every few years to keep out moisture and further improve abrasion resistance.

Though it lacks the “warmth” of hardwood or vinyl for retail spaces, concrete can be polished to a durable and attention-grabbing shine. It can also be dyed or stained to a variety of attractive colors, or have a decorative epoxy applied.

Need an expert opinion?

Commercial Flooring: Choosing the Right Flooring for Your Company

If you’re anything like us, you don’t want your business revenue wasted on costly floor repairs and premature replacements. So, it’s crucial to choose the right commercial flooring.

You’ll be surprised how the right commercial floor can reflect the brand image, look professional, and improve the work environment! Luckily, we’ll guide you to make that choice.

What Is Commercial Flooring?

Commercial flooring is designed to meet the needs of industrial and commercial work sites, including offices and warehouses.

To illustrate, commercial floors receive heavy foot traffic and get exposed to extreme conditions. So, they need to be durable with thick wear layers. They should last longer and require fewer replacements than residential floors (while maintaining their attractive appearance).

What Are Benefits and Uses of Commercial Flooring?

When you invest in commercial flooring, you can enjoy numerous benefits and uses. Understanding them will help you be sure about your purchase and get the most out of your flooring. Here are the main advantages:

Safety

Commercial flooring protects the safety of employees in the workspace. There are government regulations specifying the required slip resistance and help prevent slipping accidents.

Sturdiness and Longevity

Commercial floors are highly durable. They can withstand harsh conditions, accommodate heavy foot traffic, and last long.

Manufacturers express how durable flooring is in the specification documentation. They use various flooring symbols, including the castor chair test, wear rating class 33 (for heavy contact use), and other symbols for colour fastness and stain resistance.

Productivity and Efficiency

Commercial floors create a more productive and efficient work environment thanks to noise reduction, easy maintenance, and aesthetics.

Your design choices can establish a certain mood. For instance, you can use bright colours and attractive designs to lift your employees’ spirits.

Easy Maintenance

Due to the heavy foot traffic, commercial floors get soiled easily and need frequent cleaning. So they should be easy to clean. You can refer to the manufacturer’s guide to maintenance and cleaning for precise instructions.

Noise Reduction

The right commercial flooring minimises noise, heightening your employees’ concentration levels and enhancing their performance standards. This is needed in open offices where noise travels freely. Carpets and carpet tiling are effective at that, especially dense ones.

Better Workspace

When you consider the previous benefits combined, you get safe, durable, easy-to-maintain flooring that boosts your work environment’s productivity. In that sense, commercial flooring offers you a better workspace.

Where Do You Have Commercial Flooring?

You should consider the location where you have commercial flooring. After all, it’ll have its unique needs, which your floor should accommodate.

For more information, please visit heavy duty industrial flooring.

Offices

For offices, you need durable floors that make a statement about your work culture. We recommend:

  • Hardwood
  • Laminate (for large offices)
  • Carpeting (for open offices)

Shops

In high-traffic areas, shops require sturdy flooring. You might also need it to be economical and easy to maintain and install. For that, you can consider the following:

  • Vinyl
  • Engineered Hardwood

Sports

With sports, you should prioritise safety and shock absorption. Some common flooring types are:

  • Hardwood (for volleyball and basketball gyms)
  • Carpet (for fieldhouses)
  • Polyurethane Athletic Flooring

Schools

Educational institutions require durable, budget-friendly, and easy-to-clean floors. Your options include the following:

  • Broadloom
  • Porcelain
  • Linoleum

Hospitals

Patients come and go, and workers drag around heavy equipment. For that, you’ll need smooth, durable flooring (like linoleum).

Industrial

Industrial floors are designed for warehouses and factories. They’re typically made of rubber, which is exceptionally durable.

What Are The Different Types of Commercial Flooring?

We can categorise flooring products based on their construction material. Understanding the commercial flooring types, their pros, and their cons will help you find one that matches your specific needs.

Concrete

Concrete flooring is composed of concrete slabs that manufacturers finish with polishing, etching, and staining.

Pros:

  • Sturdy
  • Easy to clean
  • Heat-conductive
  • Has a sophisticated look that fits contemporary-style offices

Cons:

  • Relatively pricey

Resin

This plastic surface features a hard-wearing layer.

Pros:

  • Durable
  • Easy to maintain
  • Chemical, impact, and abrasion-resistant

Cons:

  • Slippery, so you’ll need a skid-resistant layer

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is a synthetic material that comes in sheets, titles, and planks.

Pros:

  • Assumes the appearance of wood and stone
  • Affordable
  • Easy to install
  • Waterproof
  • Sturdy

Cons:

  • Some vinyl floors, specifically products that are 2mm thick, aren’t high-quality.

Carpet

Carpeting is a solid option for offices, and it’s available in synthetic and natural fibres.

Pros:

  • Adds comfort
  • Has a soft underfoot
  • Reduces noise

Cons:

  • Attracts dirt and dust

Wood

Timber floors are made of many wood species. They come in solid and engineered wood options.

Pros:

  • Offers you a classic and timeless look
  • Has a great underfoot
  • Durable

Cons:

  • Decays with constant sun and moisture exposure
  • Catches fire easily

Laminate

Laminate floors feature printed images of hardwood, stone, and tile flooring.

Pros:

  • Comes with exceptional durability
  • Less expensive than tile, stone, and hardwood
  • Easy to maintain
  • Stain resistant

Cons:

  • Prone to water damage

Rubber

Rubber flooring is a resilient flooring product made from natural or synthetic materials, such as recycled rubber tiles.

Pros:

  • Gives you a soft underfoot
  • Durable
  • Shock-absorbent
  • Easy to maintain

Cons:

  • Typically involves high upfront costs

LVT

Luxury vinyl tiling (LVT) is arguably the perfect mix of all the requirements of a commercial flooring product.

Pros:

  • Emulates the look of natural materials
  • Handles harsh environments
  • Easy to maintain
  • Durable

Cons:

  • Suffers discolouration
  • Non-sustainable

What Is the Best Commercial Flooring?

There’s no single perfect commercial floor for all needs and usages. So, let’s look at the different work conditions and circumstances to determine which commercial flooring material best fits them.

High Traffic

If you want your flooring to withstand high foot traffic with minimal wear and tear, consider porcelain tile, LVT, or epoxy.

Slippery Surfaces

Does your work environment include slippery areas? Perhaps some entrances and areas are likely to have spills. In that case, you can opt for vinyl floors.

Hot Environments

Do the working conditions or atmosphere create a humid or hot environment? If so, your floor should be moisture and water-resistant. Waterproof tile or vinyl is a popular choice for that.

Heavy Machinery

In a commercial setting, such as hospitals and warehouses, you’ll need to transfer heavy equipment and machinery. An example of a seamless and durable flooring option is linoleum.

What Is a Commercial Flooring Contractor?

A commercial flooring contractor or installer is a commercial flooring specialist.

Still, what do they do? With the right certifications, they can install, remove, and fix your commercial flooring. To choose one, you should ask them the following questions:

  • What is your pricing system, and which metric do you use?
  • Do you perform additional services like moving furniture?
  • Does your quote include the materials’ prices?

How Do You Maintain Commercial Flooring?

There’s no point in purchasing durable, long-lasting flooring if you can’t maintain it. After all, the lack of maintenance will shorten its lifespan.

Cleaning Commercial Flooring

Of course, different types of floors require different cleaning methods, so you should consult a manufacturer’s guide. But we’ll list some general cleaning tips.

  1. Clean Spills as Fast as Possible: To avoid stains, remove the non-solid part fast and blot underneath it. Then, get rid of the residue with water.
  2. Dust Mop or Sweep Your Floor Frequently: Dust or sweep every day. Wet mops are acceptable on waterproof surfaces.
  3. Vacuum: Run a vacuum on high-traffic areas daily to prevent buildup.
  4. Deep Clean: Get your floor deep cleaned as needed. Avoid harsh chemicals, as they can damage your floor. Instead, use product-specific cleaning solutions.

How Do You Install Commercial Flooring?

Installation techniques vary across flooring types, so you must consult a manufacturer’s guide. But generally, you may need to do the following:

  1. Prepare the Area for Installation: Remove the baseboards. And ensure the subfloor and underlayment are level and intact. Then, vacuum and sweep your flooring.
  2. Lay Your Floors: Start laying your flooring product row by row. Its type will determine if the flooring will merely click together or require nails or glues, or other techniques. Its layout and cut will show you how to install the flooring (horizontally, at 90-degree angles, or else).
  3. Cut the Excess: Whether it’s part of the flooring or underlayment, there’ll be excess to cut.
  4. Fix the Baseboards in Place: Line the lower edge of the baseboards with the flooring, and nail them in place.
  5. Install Threshold or Transition Strips: If the flooring edge is exposed anywhere, cover it with threshold strips.

How Much Does Commercial Flooring Cost?

Prices range drastically among flooring materials. To illustrate, you’ll find carpeting as cheap as £5 or stone flooring as expensive as £500 per square metre.

Are Industrial Flooring and Commercial Flooring the Same?

No, industrial flooring is specifically designed for heavy-duty environments, which has excellent durability and lasts for years (if not decades). Whereas commercial floors are usually used in non-residential environments and come in a range of materials such as vinyl, linoleum, wood or carpet.

Are Commercial Floors Eco-Friendly?

Yes, some commercial flooring types are eco-friendly. They include linoleum, engineered hardwood, and recycled carpeting.

Conclusion

Now, you have the input you need to choose the right flooring for your company. So, you should picture your brand image and consider your type of commercial space and its circumstances to choose the right material. This way, you won’t have to worry about premature replacements or damage.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of metal flooring. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.